Garment carrier and hanger



April 5, 1966 Y K, P. HERZ 3,244,261

GARMENT CARRIER ANDHANGER Filed Dec. 10, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheef Kurt 1? Her:

INVENTOR ATTORNEY.

April 5, 1966 p, HERZ 3,244,261

' GARMENT CARRIER AND HANGER Filed Dec. 10, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet? Kurf Herz 'NVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,244,261 GARMENT CARRHER AND HANGER Kurt P. Herz, 2 Woodland Place, Great Neck, N.Y. Filed Dec. 10, 1963, Scr. No. 329,507 2 Claims. (Cl. 190-43) This invention relates to luggage and particularly to those devicse which serve as both a garment carrier and hanger.

Numerous devices of the prior art function in the manner referred to, an improved version therefo being disclosed and claimed in my Patent No. 3,034,552 dated May 15, 1962, and entitled Garment Cover.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a device which embodies all, or practically all, of the advantages of my aforementioned patent in combination with additional features or advantages which will be specifically referred to hereinafter.

The device of my Patent No. 3,034,552 is so constructed and arranged as to enable a user to remove a desired garment, regardless of the position it may assume in the container, without disturbance of the others, meanwhile maintaining all other garments properly suspended within the container. It also enables complete sealing of the cover when in closed position, at the same time providing openings through which the hooked end of the contained garment hangers may project for proper suspension and support of the container and its contents.

In the device of the present invention these same features are provided, together with a construction and arrangement of elements which enables it to be easily carried even by persons who are short in height.

Another advantage is the provision of highly efiicient means for permitting the garment carrier and hanger I to be doubled upon itself and firmly secured in such position Without disarranging the garments therewithin.

Still another object is to provide, in a device of the class described, improved garment supporting means in the form of a carrying handle so affixed to the center of the bottom section that it will evenly carry the clothing and not impair the functioning of the garment carrier.

A further object is to provide a garment carrier and hanger which will not sag when in the folded or doubled position.

A still further object is the provision of a garment carrier and hanger embodying all of the features described hereinbefore and which at the same time provides a convenient and entirely separate compartment for the storage of shoes and the like.

r With the foregoing objects in view, together with others which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all as will be describedmore fully hereinafter, illustrated in the drawings, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective elevational view of a device which embodies the teachings of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view which illustrates the device of FIG. 1 in a folded position,

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the top of the novel garment carrier and hanger,

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view; and

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of a modified form of the present invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the novel garment carrier and hanger is formed of flexible material, such as cloth, rubber, leather, plastic or other material of a length sufiicient to properly accommodate suits, coats, capes, dresses and other wearing apparel upon coat or garment hangers whose hooked ends 5 extend through ice the upper end of the container to afford means whereby the hangers and clothing enveloped by the container may be suspended. This cover comprises a substantially rectangular container having front and rear sides represented at 6 and 7 respectively; a bottom 8 connecting the lower ends of the sides and a top 9 connecting its upper ends. The depth or thickness of the container may vary, but in the present instance is illustrated as relatively thin for the accommodation of three separate hangers for the support of the garments, although, of course, more may be provided.

The side panels 6 and 7 are each longitudinally divided and have their inner adjacent edges disposed in the longitudinal center of the sides and are connected by zippers or slide fasteners 10 and 11, respectively; the same extending from the top to the bottom of each side as illustrated. The top panel 9 is divided into two sections at or closely adjacent its transverse centerline, the inner edges thereof terminating adjacent to, but slightly spaced from the longitudinal axis of the container to provide a gap, when the slide fasteners are in closed position, through which the hanger hooks 5 of the contained hangers may extend.

As stated in my Patent No. 3,034,552, a bag constructed as described provides means at both sides thereof whereby access may be had to the interior of the container from either side. By the provision of zippers in both sides of the bag, it is apparent that the user may have access to either side, which greatly facilitates the removal of a desired garment without disturbing other garments contained within the cover. It is observed that the bottom of the container 8 is continuous whereby a proper seal is maintained, and the gap at the inner ends of the top sections 9, when the bag is closed, is sufiicient only to permit the relatively small hook members 5 to project therethrough for suspension purposes; an effective seal thus being maintained at the top of the container.

The inner edges of the top sections 9 of the container are provided with flexible locking tabs 12. These tabs may be formed of the material of which the garment container is made or may be separate layers of material, as here illustrated, stitched or otherwise rigidly secured to the top sections. The tabs 12 are each provided at their outer ends with socket members 13 for engagement with studs 24 on the opposite top section 9. The tabs 12 have their outer edges -15 terminating inwardly of the sides of the container to provide spaces or gaps 16 through which garment hanger hooks may be extended. Likewise, the adjacent edges of the oppositely directed locking tabs 12 are spaced from one another to provide between them a narrow gap 17 substantially midway the width of the container and through which other hanger hooks may be projected. By this construction complete sealing of the upper end of the container is assured.

Access may be had to the container from either side thereof for the purpose of removing a desired garment without disturbance of other garments therein contained.

However, it will be understood that the longitudinal division of one of the side panels (6 or 7) may be eliminated, in which case access to the interior of the container will be provided through one side only.

As will -be seen most clearly in FIGS. 1 and 3, when the side panel 6 constituting the front of the container is longitudinally divided .and provided with a zipper fastener 10, the upper end of said panel carries a pair of transversely disposed slide fasteners or zippers 19 and 20, the plug and socket ends thereof being designated 19a419b and 20a-20b respectively. As shown, a fastener slide 21 is carried by the zipper 19.

Adjacent its bottom the side panel 6 is provided with a transverse seam 25 below which there depends an extension 26, the corresponding portions of the side panel 3 7 and the edge panels being similarly extended, as indicated at 27 and 28 respectively (see FIGURES 1 and 4).

Referring still to FIGURES 1 and 4 a transverse partition member or false bottom 31 is disposed closely adjacent or slightly above the aforementioned transverse seam 25, the said transverse partition member being in parallelism with the bottom 8 and together with the latter forming a Compartment for shoes and various other items.

According to the embodiment of FIG. 1, along its lower edge the extension 26 of the side panel 6 carries a pair of transversely extending separate zipper fasteners 32 and 33, the plug and socket ends thereof being designated at 32a-3-2b and 3311-3317.

It will be noted that the zipper or slide fastener 33 carries a slide 34 for cooperation with the zipper 20 at the top of the side panel 6; whereas the zipper 32 is adapted to be engaged by the slide 21 on zipper 19 at the upper left-hand side of the side panel 6.

As shown at the bottoms of FIGS. 1 and 5, the bottom of the container is provided with .a looped strip 37 which is secured to its underside and which projects in such manner that when the container is folded upon itself at the side panel 6 the said looped strip will extend over the upper end of the garment carrier. The outer extremity of this looped strip 37 which is secured to the bottom of the container provides a handle portion 38 which enables the ready transportation of the device.

In addition, the intermediate portion of the looped strip 37 is provided with a series of grommetted apertures 40 for receiving the upper ends of the garment carriers in the manner shown in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 4, it will be observed that the rear side panel extension 27 which depends from a transverse seam 41 is provided at its upper edge with a zipper or slide fastener 42. This construction and arrangement provides ready access to the separate compartment at the bottom of the container for shoes and the like.

Referring to FIG. there is disclosed a side panel 6 which is uninterruped and at the bottom of which there is a transversely extending zipper or slide fastener 44, the same being provided with a slide 45. According to this embodiment, the upper edge of the side panel 6 may be provided with a single slide fastener element 47. That is, in the embodiment of FIG. 5 the lower end of the side panel 6 is connected to the upper end thereof by means of .a single slide fastener in lieu of the two pairs 1920 and32-33 as illustrated in FIG. 1.

While I have shown and described certain specific embodiments of the present invention, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that I do not wish to be limited exactly thereto, since various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A garment carrier and hanger comprising a garment cover formed of flexible material and having side, end, top and bottom panels; said top panel being transversely divided adjacent its center; at least one of said side panels being longitudinally divided; a zipper fastener connecting the adjacent edges of said longitudinally divided side panel; the adjacent edges of the transversely divided top panel providing between them a gap through which the upper ends of a plurality of garment hangers may extend; said garment cover being adapted to be folded at substantially its transverse center-line; a zipper fastener for connecting the bottom of one of said side panels to the top portion of said garment cover when it is in the aforementioned folded position; a strap secured to the central portion of said bottom panel and projecting rightangularly therefrom; the projecting portion of said carrying strap being adapted to overlie the gap provided by the transverse division of said top panel when said garment cover is in the folded position and to project sufliciently from the opposite side of said top panel to serve as a canrying handle; the mid-portion of said strap having at least one aperture for receiving the upper ends of said garment hangers.

2. The garment carrier and hanger of claim 1, together with a false bottom in said garment cover; said false bottom being disposed parallel to, but in spaced relationship from, said bottom panel; one of the side panels between said bottom and said false bottom having an opening extending thereacross; and a zipper fastener connecting the edges of said opening.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,144,266 1/ 1939 Nathan. 2,224,090 12/ 1940 Tucker et al. 2067 2,296,358 9/1942 Marinsky et al.. 2,533,333 12/1950 Kitsom. 2,540,165 2/'195 1 FiieL 2,606,636 8/1952 Braverman 190-43 3,019,869 2/ 1962 Engelhardt 19043 3,034,552 5/1962 Herz -62 3,115,959 12/1963 Jafie -43 FOREIGN PATENTS 781,765 3/ 1935 France.

13,363 6/1913 Great Britain. 627,282 8/ 1949 Great Britain.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Examiner. 

1. A GARMENT CARRIER AND HANGER COMPRISING A GARMENT COVER FORMED OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL AND HAVING SIDE, END, TOP AND BOTTOM PANELS; SAID TOP PANEL BEING TRANSVERSELY DIVIDED ADJACENT ITS CENTER; AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SIDE PANELS BEING LONGITUDINALLY DIVIDED; A ZIPPER FASTENER CONNECTING THE ADJACENT EDGES OF SAID LONGITUDINALLY DIVIDED SIDE PANEL; THE ADJACENT EDGES OF THE TRANSVERSELY DIVIDED TOP PANEL PROVIDING BETWEEN THEM A GAP THROUGH WHICH THE UPPER ENDS OF A PLURALITY OF GARMENT HANGERS MAY EXTEND; SAID GARMENT COVER BEING ADAPTED TO BE FOLDED AT SUBSTANTIALLY ITS TRANSVERSE CENTER-LINE; A ZIPPER FASTENER FOR CONNECTIG THE BOTTOM OF ONE OF SAID SIDE PANELS TO THE TOP PORTION OF SAID GARMENT COVER WHEN IT IS IN THE AFOREMENTIONED FOLDED POSITION; A STRAP SECURED TO THE CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID BOTTOM PANEL AND PROJECTING RIGHTANGULARLY THEREFROM; THE PROJECTING PORTION OF SAID CARRYING STRAP BEING ADAPTED TO OVERLIE THE GAP PROVIDED BY 